If I'm being honest, I can't remember what I ate for lunch last week, let alone what I did last summer. Unfortunately, for a group of young adults they did something horrible, and a man with a rain slicker and a hook remembers.
Originally released in 1997, I Know What You Did Last Summer became a box office hit, eventually earning over $125 million on a $17 million budget. This July, a whole new generation of moviegoers will get the chance to experience the drama and horror when the latest sequel hits theaters.
It's the Fourth of July, and old friends have gathered in Southport to celebrate Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline; Outer Banks) and Teddy Spencer (Tyriq Withers; Him). After the party, Ava (Chase Sui Wonders; Bodies, Bodies, Bodies), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King; The Little Mermaid), Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon; Lazareth), Danica, and Teddy go for a drive to watch the fireworks. While stopped on the side of the road, a pickup truck swerves to miss the group and ends up going over the side of a cliff. A year later, the group is terrorized by someone trying to kill them as revenge.
Sound familiar? That's because it's almost the exact same plot as the original film from 28 years ago. The difference? Kevin Williamson (Scream) did not write this latest version, and it shows in the dialogue. This version is tailored for the social media-savvy generation with its obsession over selfies and appearances. Some of the fashion is impressive, if you're into that sort of thing.
This version is also gorier than the original. Instead of implying deaths, you now see a harpoon gun pierce a victim's chest. There are some solid jump scares, mostly in the film's early moments, that might get your heart pumping.
The cast, like the original, is made up of young, up-and-coming actors who play their parts well. Teddy is the Barry (Ryan Phillippe; Cruel Intentions) of the group, Danica is Helen (Sarah Michelle Gellar; Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ava is Julie (Jennifer Love Hewitt; The Tuxedo), and Milo is Ray (Freddie Prinze Jr.; Scooby-Doo). Speaking of Ray and Julie, they do make appearances in this latest version, which is a great way to tie the two films together.
It was also nice hearing an actual soundtrack again in a film instead of just a score. There are tons of Easter eggs throughout the movie, so brush up and rewatch the original two films if you want to catch them all.
Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great) also doesn't have Jim Gillespie's (Billionaire Ransom) touch for drama and suspense, but she also didn't have Williamson's writing to work with, nor did she have the North Carolina scenery to film, as this time the movie was shot in Canada (of course!). Having said that, the first and second acts are decent. However, everything pretty much falls apart in the third act. The story feels long and boring, and while the killings are well done (if you like that sort of thing), the movie simply loses steam toward the end.
For those who have never seen the original movie or its sequel (skip the third one altogether - trust me, you'll thank me for it), I Know What You Did Last Summer is not a bad psychological horror film with characters that today's teenagers will be able to relate to. It also has some great Easter eggs and cameos that fans of the original movie will appreciate. However, like many later films in a franchise, it doesn't live up to its predecessor, and fans of the 1997 version may be disappointed.
Grade: C
